With former basketball all-star Shaquille O' Neal being a Papa John's board member and franchisee, it was only a matter of time before the pizza chain made full use of their in-house celebrity to sell some pies. That time has finally come, as the company unveiled early today the Shaq-a-Roni: an extra large, extra pepperoni and cheese, thin crust pizza.
What's unique about that, you ask? Well, for one it's called the Shaq-a-roni, so there's that. It's also cut into 8 slices, rather than the traditional 16. That means each slice is roughly about the size of one Shaquille O' Neal hand, which is pretty big.
But the Shaq-a-roni isn't just about delivering a face full of pizza, it's also about giving back to the community. For every Shaq-a-roni pizza sold through August 23, 2020, the company is donating $1 to Papa John’s Foundation for Building Community - an organization that "supports communities as they work together for equality, fairness, respect and opportunity for all."
In today's press release, the four-time champion says of his creation "it was important to me for the Shaq-a-Roni to be bigger than just pizza. By giving my new pie a try, one dollar will be donated to The Papa John’s Foundation for Building Community to support COVID-19 relief, the fight against racial injustice, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, UNCF (United Negro College Fund) and general community involvement."
Additionally, those who order a Shaq-a-Roni will find their piping hot pie encased in a special pizza box bearing Shaq's resemblance, as well as a QR code for an "exclusive Snapchat AR experience." Unfortunately, Tums are not included.
